Toy boat

ABSTRACT

A floating toy is provided in the shape of a boat, fish or other configuration, which is propelled through the water by a motor and, as it so moves, is caused to either roll from side to side or move in pitch. The pitching or rolling of the toy is effected by oscillating a weight either from side to side or in a manner to shift the center of gravity of the toy first forwardly and then rearwardly. In a preferred form, a single electrical windup motor is utilized to both drive a propellor for moving the toy through the water and to cause a weight to be shifted such as by swinging an arm containing the weight at its end, back and forth about an axis.

United States Patent 1191 Lemelson 1451 Dec. 17, 1974 TOY BOAT [76] Inventor: Jerome H. Lemelson, 85 Rector St.,

Metuchen, NJ. 08840 [22] Filed: Feb. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 335,574

[52] US. Cl 46/93, 46/243 MV [51] Int. Cl A63h 23/02 [58] Field of Search 46/91, 93, 94, 243 MV [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,669 8/1922 Wilson 46/94 3,619,938 11/1971 Tong 46/94 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 138,568 2/1903 Germany 46/93 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerRobert F. Cutting 5 7 ABSTRACT A floating toy is provided in the shape of a boat, fish or other configuration, which is propelled through the water by a motor and, as it so moves, is caused to either roll from side to side or move in pitch. The pitch ing or rolling of the toy is effected by oscillating a weight either from side to side or in a manner to shift the center of gravity of the toy first forwardly and then rearwardly.

In a preferred form, a single electrical windup motor is utilized to both drive a propellor for moving the toy through the water and to cause a weight to be shifted such as by swinging an arm containing the weight at its end, back and forth about an axis.

' 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 TOY BOAT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an action toy and in particular to a floating toy which is caused to roll or pitch as it is driven through the water.

Various types of floating toys are known in the art which are driven through a body of water. These toys, for the most part, are merely propelled forwardly and do not otherwise simulate the movement of a large scale boat which may roll or pitch in rough seas. The instant invention is concerned with mechanisms for causing a toy boat to simulate a rolling or pitching actionas it moves through a body of water, thereby increasing the play value of the toy.

Accordingly it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved floating toy containing realistic moving effects.

Another object is to provide a floating toy which appears to roll from side to side as it is driven forward.

Another object is to provide a floating toy which appears to move in a pitching movement as it is driven forward.

Another object is to provide a floating toy having a single motor and mechanisms driven by said motor for propelling the toy through the water and causing it to either roll or pitch as it is driven.

With the above and such other objects in view which may hereafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be unclerstood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a toy boat shown floating level in the'water with a weighted arm thereof in a neutral position;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the boat of FIG. 1 with the weighted arm pivoted forwardly to cause the nose of the boat to dip down;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the boat of FIG. 1 with the weighted arm pivoted rearwardly to cause the rear end of the boat to be weighted down;

FIG. 4 is a schematic end view of another form of boat with a weighted arm in a neutral position;

F IG. 5 is an end view of the boat of FIG. 4 with the weighted arm pivoted clockwise;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the boat of FIG. 4 with the weighted arm pivoted counterclockwise from center;

FIG. 7 is a side view with parts broken away for clarity of the boat of FIG. 1 showing further details of the mechanism thereof; and

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a mechanism applicable to cause a boat to rock from side to side as it operates.

There is shown in FIGS. 13 a toy boat containing a mechanism for causing the boat to be driven forwardly and to effect a pitching action as it is so driven. The boat 10 is composed of a hull 11 and is driven by means of a propellor 12 extending from the rear end of the hull and rotated by means of a motor (not shown). Pivotally supported near the center of the boat on an axis 16 is an arm 14 having a weight 15 at the upper end thereof. The arm 14 is caused to oscillate back and forth by means of a crank (not shown) which rides in a hole 13 extending through the arm and is driven by a motor (not shown) to cause the weight 15 to be shifted, first as the front end of the boat and then towards the rear end of the boat as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the weight 14 is shifted towards the front end of the boat as shown in FIG. 2, the nose of the boat pitches downwardly and when it is pivoted towards the rear end of the boat as in FIG. 3, the nose is raised out the water as shown. If the period of oscillation is designed to occur at intervals of between one second and five seconds, the boat will pitch most realistically as it is driven forward by the propellor, giving the impression to an observer that it is travelling in the high seas.

In FIGS. 4-6, a mechanism somewhat similar to that provided in FIGS. 1-3 is supported within the hull 21 of the boat 20 and includes an arm 23 having a weight 24 at its upper end and pivotally supported about an axle 25 at its lower end. A hole 22 extending through the arm 23, contains the end of a crank (not shown) which is driven by a motor to oscillate the arm and weight first to one side of the boat and then to the other as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to cause the boat to rock or roll from one side to the other as it is driven forward to realistically simulate the rolling of the boat in high seas.

FIG. 7 shows one form of mechanism utilized to propel and cause a toy boat to pitch forwardly and then rearwardly as it is driven forward. The boat 30 comprises a hull 31, preferably made of molded plastic, and retaining an electric motor 33 supported therein. One portion of the drive shaft 34 of motor 33 extends rearwardly through a sealed bearing supported by the rear wall of the hull and is connected to propellor 32 which drives the boat forwardly when the motor operates. The forward end 34' of the shaft of the motor 33 contains a bevel gear 35 which meshes with the teeth of a bevel gear 36 which is supported on a shaft 37 which is rotationally supported at its ends by the side walls of the boat and which contains a crank arm 38 having a pin 39 at the end thereof which rides in aslot 42 extending through an arm 41 which is pivotally supported on an axle 40 at its lower end. The upper end of arm 41 is attached to a weight 43 which is driven forwardly and rearwardly as illustrated by the dashed portions of the drawing as the motor operates and rotates crank arm 38.

A battery 47 is shown supported in the front end of the hull 31 of boat assembly 30 and is connected by wires 48 to motor 33 and a switch 45. The switch arm 46 of switch 45 is accessable from the upper wall 31a of the boat so that the motor 33 may be started and stopped from the exterior of the boat hull. A rudder 49 is provided at the rear end of the boat hull to set the steering thereof.

In FIG. 8, a boat ssembly 50 includes a boat hull 51 containing a frame 52 mounted therein. Supported within the frame 52 is an electrical motor 62, the output shaft 63 of which contains a spur gear 64 which meshes with another spur gear 65 which is connected to a gear train composed of additional gears 60 and 66 and a shaft 59 driven thereby to rotate a disc 61 supported by the side wall 54 of the box frame 52. The box frame 52 is composed of front and rear walls 53 and 56 and side walls 54 and which are supported on flanges S7 and 58 which are pinned to the bottom wall of the boat hull. An arm 71 is pivotally supported on a pin 72 which is secured to a shelf extension 56 of the rear wall 56 of the box frame 52. A slot 74 extends laterally across the rear wall 56 and supports arm 71 in sliding engagement therein as it is oscillated about the vertical axis defined by pin 72. A weight 75 at the rear end of arm 71 is shifted as the arm is pivoted to cause the boat to roll from side to side. Extension plate 76 of the rear wall 56 is supported on pins 77 extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the hull. A crank arm 68 is secured to disc 61 by a pin 69. A slotted hole 70 in the rear end of crank arm 68 receives the lateral extension 73 of arm 71 so that when shaft 59 rotates, the crank 68 is caused to oscillate and causes arm 71 to pivot back and forth in oscillatory movement about pin 72, thereby causing the weight 75 to shift from side to side within the hull so that the boat rocks.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising in combination:

a hull adapted to float on water,

means for propelling said hull through the water,

a movable weight for shifting the center of gravity of said toy as it is propelled through the water in an oscillating manner to cause said hull to rock about an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hull so as to cause the toy boat to rock from side to side during its movement through the water and to simulate the operation of a boat I in rough seas. I

2. A toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for shifting the center of gravity of said toy as it is propelled through the water includes a weight and means for causing said weight to be shifted to location with respect to said hull in an oscillating manner to cause said hull to rock from side to side.

3. A toy in accordance with claim 2 including means for pivotally oscillating said weight back and forth across said hull.

4. A toy in accordance with claim 3 having an arm supporting said weight and pivotally supported within said hull and motor driven means for effecting oscillatory movement of said arm to pivot said weight back and forth laterally across said hull.

5. A toy in accordance with claim 4 wherein said motor driven means is also operable to drive said means for propelling said hull through the water. 

1. A toy comprising in combination: a hull adapted to float on water, means for propelling said hull through the water, a movable weight for shifting the center of gravity of said toy as it is propelled through the water in an oscillating manner to cause said hull to rock about an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hull so as to cause the toy boat to rock from side to side during its movement through the water and to simulate the operation of a boat in rough seas.
 2. A toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for shifting the center of gravity of said toy as it is propelled through the water includes a weight and means for causing said weight to be shifted to location with respect to said hull in an oscillating manner to cause said hull to rock from side to side.
 3. A toy in accordance with claim 2 including means for pivotally oscillating said weight back and forth across said hull.
 4. A toy in accordance with claim 3 having an arm supporting said weight and pivotally supported within said hull and motor driven means for effecting oscillatory movement of said arm to pivot said weight back and forth laterally across said hull.
 5. A toy in accordance with claim 4 wherein said motor driven means is also operable to drive said means for propelling said hull through the water. 